Caraway Rakia From Serbia

I have discovered a review of a caraway rakia that is produced in Serbia and have given an extract as follows:

A couple of years ago I've had a chance to taste this Caraway rakia with a friend of mine. But back then I didn't pay much attention to what I was tasting - I was mostly concentrated on LIKE or DISLIKE mental notes :) Both of us (me and friend of mine) remembered this rakia a few months ago, so we agreed we should buy it again and try it now, to refresh memory of it. But, we encountered a problem - it was impossible to find it anymore!

During my "time-travel" in Vranjska Banja, I found it there in local store. There were just two bottles left, and since I was there with (another) friend of mine, we both bought a bottle, so I take a liberty to say that Kimova rakija is a distinct liquor now! :)

Because years have passed since I've tasted it, I felt like I never tasted it in my life. I couldn't recall any memory of it, except that it wasn't as harsh on palate as many rakijas (especially homemade ones) are. So I left my imagination think of something before I try it :) Since caraway is macerated in it, I thought it'd be chilly. But, it actually was not at all what I've expected!....................

If you want to read the rest of this well written account go this link: http://loungearea.blogspot.com/2009/08/kimova-rakija-caraway-rakia.html

Grappa In Bulgarian Shops

Grappa is a strange thing to see in Bulgaria in a country that judges its own rakia to be the best spirit in Europe. Why on earth would grappa be on the shop shelf? I don't think I've seen any Italians here since first coming here nearly 5 years ago. Who on earth would buy grappa when there is rakia coming out of thew woodwork here?

Well grappa is in the shops and the globalisation is becoming a big realisation here now. you can buy almost anything in Bulgaria now, that never used to be the case. But can you buy rakia in Italy over the shop counter? Probably as there is a great many Bulgarians living and working there and there is bound to be a demand, or would they drink grappa there? When in Rome...

There is a good account of the history of grappa which can be read at this site: http://www.lifeinitaly.com/wines/grappa.asp

Sliva Rakia Process Now Started

Today is was back to finish what I started the other day. There was a barrel half full of ripe sliva that had already started fermenting in the ambient heat outside of around 30 Celsius in the day and 18 Celsius at night. The advice was to get the sugar and well water in as soon as possible.

The sugar was bought yesterday evening after searching Yambol for the best bargain. The prices ranged from 1.59 leva per kilo from the supermarket to 1.34 per kilo in the small grocer next to our home. Who says supermarkets are cheaper? The 25 kilograms was in the boot of the Lada and ready to add this morning.

Advice was coming from all angles as the workmen saw me crushing the sliva by hand before added the water and sugar. They got me a drill and cement mixing bit, an extension cable and handed it to me. Within ten minutes the sliva was almost all liquidized and beautifully prepared. The smell of the sliva brought back the memories of three years ago when my last batch of sliva rakia was made – it is such distinctive and almost overpowering smell with a hint of alcohol mixed in already.

More advice came form the rakia experts around me. This time it was to mix the sugar with the water before adding it to the barrel of sliva. They say that if this is not done the will be a caramel base of sugar which won’t ferment and a weaker wine base results. The name of the game is to get the highest alcohol level possible and to make sure that all the sugar is dissolved initially. This was duly done again using the cement mixer and drill. It took quite a time to do but I was assured it was worth it with the result I would get.

The water was from a well that had been freshly dug and source last year. With a pump in place the cold crystal clear water was ideal for rakia as the tap water has lots of calcium content.

After a lot of walking backwards and forward with batches of water, mixing in the sugar and added it to the barrel, after an hour it was finished. 60 litres of water and 20 kilograms of sugar was now completely dissolved and added to the sliva and a final stir before placing the lid on. This will now be stirred daily and any whole sliva crushed by hand until it is fermented out. This may take up to a month before being ready for distillation.

This was a good morning’s work and the feel good factor had arrived, but the advice still came. This time it was to wash all my clothes and have a shower as the sugary deposits whilst working had splashed over me. If I didn’t want a swarm of flies and wasps after me, take that advice. I did when I got home!

Bulgarian Strawberry Rakia - Unique!

Bulgarian Strawberry rakia - Another discovery as I visited a friend’s house and sample some gorgeous rakia, unique as far as I know, but what a find! Strawberry rakia may sound rather strange bit the marriage of Bulgarian strawberries and Bulgarian rakia take a turn into rakia that is heaven as far as taste goes. It is the taste of a Bulgarian summer all year round with this strawberry rakia.

It took quite a bit of negotiating to get the recipe from this 100% Bulgarian man who is another fascinating maestro of rakia. He has his own kazan, he says this is to reduce the cost that the municipal rakia house charge. He built is some 10 years ago and he says he recouped the cost of the materials to make it within three year.

I have seen his stocks of rakia in his outbuilding, there must been at least two to three hundred 10 litre plastic bottles full of rakia made over the years. He doesn’t drink that much and he says he has around 40 litres each year left over from the 80 litres he makes. Of course it never goes off and he has been making rakia for over 40 years.

Back the strawberry rakia which he doesn’t make that often but sometimes he has strawberries surplus to requirements and uses them for this special drink. He finally gave me the recipe, but it was so vague and rustic that I just got the ingredients and tried making it with my own produce. I happened to have a surplus of strawberries this weekend.

There are four ingredients rakia, strawberries, sugar and lemon. Again the exact quantities are mainly guesswork but I took his instructions and refined them giving what I feel is a workable and effective balance. You can of course add more or less if you feel this is more to your taste. It can always be adjusted modified even after it has been made. So here goes, the first ever published Bulgarian Strawberry Rakia Recipe:

Bulgarian Strawberry Rakia Recipe

Makes 1 litre

Ingredients

• 3/4 litre rakia
• Ripe strawberries
• 200 gm sugar
• juice of ½ lemon

Method:

Crush the strawberries and put them into a 1-litre bottle so it is filled to halfway. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Then fill to the brim with rakia. Screw the top on the bottle tightly and give is a good shake until all the sugar is dissolved. Leave in cool dark cool place for at least 3 months, giving a shake once a week. The strawberry rakia can then be strained into another bottle and will be ready for drinking. Strawberries come into season from June onwards in Bulgaria, so if you leave it in store for the six months it will be ready for drinking by Christmas, which is what my Bulgarian friend does.

Nastrave!